I Promise I Will Learn from My Mistakes
by Outsiders Obsessor
Summary: Based on the 2017 version of the movie. Felicity moved to Villeneuve six months ago, five months before all this silly Beast business began. While trying to help Belle save Adam from the villagers and Gaston, Felicity finds an injured, barely breathing Gaston still alive after his fall. Can Gaston be redeemed, or will he drag Felicity into the depths of evil with him for eternity?
1. Prologue: The Mob Marches On

**I Promise I Will Learn from My Mistakes**

_Prologue: The Mob Marches On_

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**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the canon characters; they belong to Disney and the original creator of the ****_Beauty and the Beast _****fairy tale. I only own my OCs. The title of this fic is inspired by the song 'Fix You' by Coldplay, and I have the plan to listen to it every time I write a new chapter. As always, this fic is dedicated to Rival Argentica, my Soul Sister from the other side of the world, since she has been supporting me on this idea for months now, and I am just now getting around to writing it! Enjoy the prologue, everyone! Read the author's note at the end for any further notes of importance!**

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_Cast: The canon characters are played by their respective actors in the 2017 live action movie. My main OC, Felicity, is played by Katie McGrath, the amazing actress behind Morgana in the TV show Merlin!_

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The tranquility and majestic nature of the night is quickly broken by what appears to be a mob. A _singing _mob tromps through the woods as the procession shouts and raves about an evil beast posing a threat. Though the woods are usually considered abandoned and uninhabited by the people of Villeneuve, a young maiden by the name of Felicity has recently moved into a small cottage on the outskirts of the woods. While her cottage is not entirely far away from the town, as the mob passes the cottage after walking for a mere six minutes, Felicity enjoys the relative peace and privacy the small house offers. In fact, the man at the beginning of the mob- a Captain known among the villagers as Gaston LeGume the war hero- reaches the expanse of the cottage in less than two minutes atop his jet-black stallion. The maiden watches the scene unfold from her window, her green eyes widening significantly as she catches sight of the various weapons the men of the town wield, including guns, knives, swords, shovels, and a manner of other vile accessories. Felicity heard this little provincial town would be safe now that the Portuguese were ousted nearly thirteen years ago. That is why she packed her few meager belongings in a simple cart and left the disaster that is her father's estate.

* * *

Felicity and Belle are the dearest of friends, so the absence of Belle has given Felicity quite a fright. Nearly one month ago, Belle went missing, Maurice citing a beast as his daughter's captor. Though Felicity only moved to the outskirts of Villeneuve six months ago, she and the inventor's daughter had become fast friends in the span of less than two months. Both young women love to read, and the two of them poured over _Romeo and Juliet _nearly a week, reading the play thrice before Belle returned it to Père Robert. Neither Felicity nor Belle thought a woman reading should be considered odd, yet both women hold a high regard for and embody the knowledge of an intelligent woman. While Belle's favorite book details the story of a simple farm girl meeting and marrying Prince Charming, Felicity's personal favorite is Rostand's famous French play _Cyrano de Bergerac, _a romance in which the famous swordsman Cyrano de Bergerac lives by his wit and sword, holding a deep love for a maiden named Roxanne, though she loves a new soldier by the name of Christian. Cyrano writes love letters to Roxanne, though he signs them all with Christian's name, as the soldier knows such a fair maiden could never love a man with a nose as prominent as his. Felicity absolutely adores the play, and Belle now holds a high regard for _Cyrano de Bergerac _as well. While Belle is just beginning her ride into adulthood, Felicity is six years older and at the ripe age of twenty-six. Growing up in a household in which she was treated like an outcast and a disappointment- due to circumstances completely beyond her control- Felicity is quite happy to receive a chance to start over.

* * *

Throughout her six months of residence in Villeneuve, Felicity is pleased to say that she has not faced any problems with the villagers. Belle and Maurice are the dark-haired maiden's closest confidants; Felicity is equally grateful for Belle's friendship and Maurice's fatherly advice. Père Robert allows Felicity to borrow books in the same manner as Belle, as he greatly enjoys discussing novels and plays with the two young women. All of the other villagers seem kind enough, but that is because none of them know of Felicity's love of books and knowledge, not to mention her position as a physician. As for Gaston LeGume, the brown-haired physician counts her lucky stars she has been able to avoid making his acquaintance in her six month residence in this small, provincial town. Belle can hardly stomach the man, so why should Felicity, especially when the arrogant, cocky, and boorish soldier tries to propose to Belle nearly every chance he gets?

"What on Earth?" Felicity inquires, moving to the window as she hears screaming in addition to a rather unidentifiable sound.

"Put your backs into it, men! We'll need a battering ram to knock the castle doors in!" a loud, deep, masculine, and commanding voice shouts, and as the figure moves past her house, Felicity identifies the man as none other than Gaston himself.

As soon as Felicity plans to exit her cottage and demand an explanation, one of the trees crashes unceremoniously to the ground, nearly flattening LeFou in the process.

"Sally forth! Tally ho! Grab your sword; grab your bow!" the mob sings, departing just as quickly as they appeared in the first place.

Watching the mob march by, Felicity notices the absence of a prominent figure. Throwing her door open, Felicity sprints as fast as she can to find Maurice and get to the root of the current problem.

* * *

When she reaches the main square of Villeneuve, Felicity nearly collides with her best friend.

"Maurice!" Felicity shouts, almost crashing to the ground upon running straight into Belle.

"Felicity?" Belle gasps, righting her friend where the older woman won't fall at the impact.

"Belle?!" Felicity questions in a shocked and relieved tone of voice. "Belle, what happened? How did you return? Your father and I-"

"Oh, none of that matters right now!" Belle dismisses, a sense of urgency on her face. "I need your help, Felicity! Adam's in trouble!" the inventor's daughter cries out.

"Who's Adam?"

"No time to explain! I'll tell you on the way!"

Belle offers a hand to Felicity, pulling the green-eyed physician up and onto Philippe's back.

"Be safe, girls!" Maurice calls after them before closing his eyes and beginning to pray.

Heaven knows they need a miracle to keep Gaston the revered hunter and war captain from killing his quarry.

* * *

As Belle pulls Philippe to a jerking stop, both women hear the distinct sound of a gunshot. Belle's eyes widen in fright and pure, unbridled terror.

"Go to him, Belle," Felicity urges, giving her friend a shove towards the staircase. "You know this castle better than anyone in the village! Your brain is twice as big as Gaston's; you can outsmart him!" she encourages, wondering why Belle still hasn't gone yet.

"What about you?" Belle asks, afraid her best friend will meet a cruel fate.

"I'll be fine, Belle. Honestly! I'm a big girl; I can handle myself," she assures, and with that, Belle scurries up the stairs two at a time.

Felicity looks to the stars above, trying to formulate a plan and proper course of action.

* * *

"_I'm coming for you, BEAST!" _comes what can only be described as a roar from Gaston's mouth.

Felicity knows that she and Belle must hurry. Scouring the lower levels of the castle for something useful, Felicity nearly jumps out of her skin upon hearing a yowling grunt of pain and anguish, followed by a second cry combined with the crumbling of the castle around the pinnacle. Yelping as rubble hurtles to the ground and strikes against her arm, Felicity lands harshly on her stomach in enough time to hear a terrified, male scream as a portion of the castle falls from the sky. After the dust settles and the sharp pain in her arm subsides, Felicity feels compelled to follow the trail of glowing yellow light trailing behind the exterior staircase.

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**Author's Note: And there it is! The prologue to my new ****_Beauty and the Beast _****story! I hope you all enjoyed this small snippet; don't worry, the prologue was just to tease what is to come, and I didn't want Felicity to officially meet Gaston in the prologue. She currently just knows Gaston by reputation and Belle's thoughts on him, so any mention of Captain Gaston LeGume gives Felicity a negative connotation out of reflex. Thank you so much for your support, dear readers! I hope you have an amazing day, afternoon, or evening; reviews are always appreciated if you would like to leave one telling me what you think about the story so far. I will try and update this story as soon as I can- I've had the idea of this story for months, so I know where it is headed- but I am in the second semester of my first year in college, and it is already incredibly harder than the first semester was! Until next time, my dear readers!**

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_P.S. I just started watching Merlin before the new semester began, and I am in love with it! I just started Season Two, and I knew Katie McGrath would be an amazing fantasy cast for Felicity! _

_P.P.S. The cover image for this story was created by me. I hope you all like it!_


	2. Chapter 1: I Will Try to Fix You

_Chapter One: I Will Try to Fix You_

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the canon characters; they belong to Disney and the original creator of the ****_Beauty and the Beast _****fairy tale. I only own my OCs. The title of this fic is inspired by the song 'Fix You' by Coldplay, and I have the plan to listen to it every time I write a new chapter. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Read the author's note at the end for any further notes of importance!**

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_Cast: The canon characters are played by their respective actors in the 2017 live action movie. My main OC, Felicity, is played by Katie McGrath, the amazing actress behind Morgana in the TV show Merlin!_

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Felicity honestly has no idea what she will find behind the exterior staircase, nor does she know why the golden light is shining. Although she is not normally a compulsive person, the green-eyed maiden throws logic and reason out of her head for the moment, only able to trust her feet would carry her away if danger persists. However, one thought consumes Felicity's every though as she nears the staircase. That scream… Whose scream had it been? Was it Adam's? After all, Belle gave vivid details of the cursed Prince on the ride from Villeneuve to the castle, but no amount of description can accurately describe a voice someone has never heard. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Felicity plucks up her courage and prepares herself for a particularly gruesome sight. From the shadows, a pair of blue eyes watches the female physician carefully. There is no turning back now.

* * *

The sight in front of Felicity is absolutely horrifying, and yet, not unlike what she suspected she would find. There _is _a body lying behind the exterior staircase most certainly the one that produced the hair-raising, ear-splitting, terror-filled scream while falling. However, the identity of said body is what fills Felicity with the most dread and simultaneous sorrow. The man who produced such a terrified shout while falling from a great height was none other than Gaston LeGume. While crouching down beside his body, Felicity comes to the realization that even famous war heroes get a sense of dread and unbridled fear when faced with a vision of their own deaths. Looking at the sheer distance between the roof and the ground where Gaston currently limply lies, Felicity is almost certain the Captain is dead. The blood pooling around his body is no sign of comfort, either, dying the snow a dark crimson. And yet, the physician's heart within Felicity tells her to check for a pulse, to check for some sign of life, no matter how small. Even if the time proves to be wasted, Felicity would rather know for _certain _that Gaston is dead before she knowingly abandons him. After all, even though Gaston fell while doing a dastardly deed, Felicity knows deep within her heart and soul that no being on this Earth should be left to suffer alone in his or her last moments.

* * *

Placing her nimble fingers on Gaston's left wrist before encircling his wrist with her hand, Felicity desperately searches for a pulse. Although she knows that such a sensation would surely need a miracle, Felicity cannot bring herself to simply give up on the man before her, regardless of Belle's distaste of him and the wrongs he has committed.

There is no pulse present in Gaston's wrist.

Growling in frustration, Felicity unfurls her fingers from around the famous hunter's wrist in order to check another pulse point.

Raising her index and middle fingers om her left hand, Felicity places those two fingers gently on Gaston's neck.

After waiting for seconds that feel like eternities, Felicity comes to a conclusion.

There is nothing.

No sign of a pulse, no breathing, no sign of life is present in the war hero's body.

Sighing heavily, Felicity concedes defeat, deciding that Gaston LeGume is dead, though she doesn't let herself shed a single tear for the conceited man she never officially met.

* * *

A voice startles Felicity out of the silent prayer she was sending up for Gaston. The brown-haired young woman has always been taught that no one should die without having someone try to east the journey to one of the two worlds beyond.

"Felicity!" Belle's voice desperately calls as the younger woman flees down the stairs, searching for her best friend.

"Belle!" Felicity shouts, tearing herself away from Gaston's limp form and wrapping Belle in a tight hug. "What happened, my friend? All I heard was a yowl of pain after a gunshot and Gaston's shout as he fell," she inquires, stepping back to view both Belle and the handsome man by the brown-eyed girl's side.

"Gaston shot Adam several times to where he nearly died in my arms. The-the castle started to crumble, and Gaston went down with it. When Adam professes his love for me, the Enchantress transformed him from a cursed beast back into his original Prince form," Belle reveals in a rush, her hands intertwined with Adam's.

"Prince Adam, my sincerest apologies!" Felicity gasps, bowing and then curtsying out of respect and duty.

"Please, Felicity. Call me Adam," the Prince grins, showing off his sparkling white teeth. "After all, you are Belle's dearest friend," he continues, squeezing Belle's hand.

Smiling shyly at the Prince, Felicity moves back towards Gaston's body, taking his limp arms in her hands before beginning to speak.

"I wonder, Prince Adam, if you would be kind enough to lend me a horse for the journey back to Villeneuve?" she requests, green eyes looking pitifully downwards at Gaston's crumpled form.

"But, of course, mademoiselle Felicity. Is that all you require?" the young Prince inquires as he prepares to send someone to the stables to fetch a horse as day begins to break across the horizon.

"If you would be so kind, I would like help lifting him onto the horse's saddle," Felicity admits, much to both Belle's and Adam's confusion.

When prompted by the Prince and Belle, Felicity must give an explanation of her plan. Simply put, Felicity explains that she wishes to take Gaston back to Villeneuve where the townspeople can get on last look at their "hero" before the army Captain is buried.

"He at least deserves a proper burial in town, Belle. Surely you can't deny him that?" Felicity questioned when Belle looked skeptical of the idea.

* * *

Now, directing the horse Prince Adam loaned her back to Villeneuve, the female physician begins to feel guilt settle in the pit of her stomach that she had never even made the man in red's acquaintance, not even to thank him for his service in the war against the Portuguese. Being careful as not to throw Gaston's body to the forest floor, Felicity turns the mare as gently as possible. It is then that Felicity's hand brushes against Gaston's wrist when she feels it. A soft, muted drumming pushes against her fingertips. Could it be…? Gaston's pulse!

"Good God!" Felicity gasps in alarm as the slow pulse continues to beat under her fingers.

With a confident look on her face, Felicity kicks her feet against the horse's sides, compelling the mare to run faster. Against all the odds, Gaston managed to somehow survive the deadly fall, and Felicity will try anything in her power to keep him alive! Such morals follow the Hippocratic Oath, after all. With all her focus on the busy day ahead, Felicity doesn't notice the same blue eyes from earlier as they follow the horse's every stride.

* * *

The night quickly turns into dawn, and Felicity certainly has her day's work cut out for her. By some manner of miracle, Felicity manages to get Gaston LeGume off of the mare and into her cottage. Unfortunately, his bulky weight made it difficult to position the man, let alone carry him, so the young woman is forced to gently drag Gaston until she reaches the foot of her spare bed. Placing one limb at a time on the bed, Felicity painstakingly situates her patient into the bed, albeit on top of the sheet and blankets. Pushing the sleeves of her dress up, Felicity grabs her medical supplies and begins to check Gaston over to assess his multitude of injuries, wrapping each one in bandages as she goes along. If Gaston is to survive until he gets healthy again, then he is going to need around-the-clock care for weeks, if not months, something Felicity fully intends to make the war hero pay dearly for.

* * *

It takes Gaston nearly fourteen hours to wake for the first time after the accident at the castle. In that time, Felicity has compiled a list of his maladies which include, but are not limited to, a dislocated shoulder, sprained ankle, many lacerations, bruising the color of a rotten plum and the size of a pair of horseshoes, and most likely a concussion. Given the circumstances, Felicity feels as if he got off a lot easier than he feasibly should have. When Gaston's light brown eyes with hints of green open, Felicity is leaning over him, finishing wrapping the new bandage on his arm, using a damp cloth to wipe the dried blood off of the injury.

"Well, hello there," Gaston murmurs in a sultry, albeit discombobulated, voice, causing Felicity to nearly jump out of her skin. "And just who might you be, mademoiselle?" the war hero inquires, trying to sit up only to immediately regret that choice when his head begins to pound rapidly.

To Gaston, it feels as if he has a hangover ten times worse than one he would get after a night spent drinking at his own pub.

Jumping backwards and out of Gaston's reach, Felicity presses a hand to her chest, truly frightened that Gaston had awoken without any noticeable signs, especially when she had been leaning over him in what the war hero is certain to believe as her way of trying to kiss him while unconscious.

"You lost a lot of blood. It's a miracle you're alive," Felicity simply answers, not yet ready to give Gaston her name, lest he associate her with Belle in some way and get some insane scheme for revenge in his mind within mere moments of awakening after a fourteen-hour death-like sleep.

"I do not believe that to be your name, miss," Gaston wryly remarks, still trying to sit up but not knowing why his head is spinning so wildly nor why nearly his entire body feels as if it is on fire with the throbbing ache of pain unlike anything the war hero has ever experienced. "May I have your name? It must be a pretty name to go with a gorgeous woman like you," he inquires in that tone of voice that would make any other girl immediately swoon and throw herself at Gaston's feet before the war hero then smirks as he compliments himself silently for retaining his flirting skills amidst the current conundrum.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Felicity questions, a wicked grin on her lips as she mentally gives herself one point against Gaston's current zero points in their form of conversation.

Oh, she would be able to pull many more details out of the Captain than he would ever be able to get her to admit.

'_Yes! That will most certainly work!' Felicity muses, turning her back to Gaston and smiling to herself as she deduces a plan on how she can outsmart the man in her care. (Though if Belle's indications of Gaston's intelligence are anything to go on, then Felicity is almost certain that she can outsmart Gaston simply by talking in slightly complex sentences.)_

* * *

"Well, then! In that case, my name is…."

"Save it! I know who you are. Everyone does. Your name is Gaston LeGume. And you still do not get to know my name in return."

"This seems to be an off day for me. Today alone I have almost been mauled by a hideous beast who stole my darling Belle and now a beautiful maiden such as yourself will hardly give me the time of day, nor will you simply give me your name," Gaston sighs heavily, feeling a swarm of drowsiness crash into his head almost as if it is a wave and his head is the shore.

"Don't push your luck, monsieur," Felicity deadpans, turning back around to face Gaston, her hands practically overflowing with bandages and a green salve she mixed up while the injured man was still unconscious. "Now, you are going to allow me to rub some of this salve on your shoulder without making any lewd or sexual comments about me, or I shall take you back to where I found you and let the beast of the castle finish what he started with you. Do I make myself clear?" Felicity inquires, a determined look on her face, and Gaston knows the woman in front of him means business.

Not trusting his silver tongue in this situation, Gaston simply nods, not wanting his mouth to get him in trouble with the beautiful mademoiselle in front of him who saved his life from the accident at the castle. At least, Gaston can only _hope _that the woman is not married, because that would be very unfortunate for the hunter, indeed.

"How did I get here?" Gaston instead questions, doing his best to keep his eyes open and focus on the room around him instead of the pain swimming at the back of his head and eyes "Honestly, I-I can recall very little," he continues, trying to come up with any sort of memory surrounding the time after the fall from the top of the castle, but he cannot come up with anything useful.

"I saved you from the castle. You were lying in a pool of your own blood," Felicity reveals to the famous hunter as she uncaps the jar of green salve. "I thought you were dead at first, but lucky for you I felt the smallest signa of a pulse on the ride back to Villeneuve," she continues, now standing beside Gaston, a large glop of salve on her hand where she can massage it onto his dislocated shoulder. "You need to turn over where I can reach the back of your shoulder, monsieur Gaston; that is where most of the bruising is."

Barely managing to abide by her command due to his stiff muscles and pounding head, Gaston shifts in the bed, allowing Felicity better access to the man's broad, muscular shoulder. When Felicity's skilled hands touch his shoulder in a sudden moment, Gaston realizes a crucial piece of information he is missing.

"Where are my clothes?" Gaston groggily inquires, swallowing the lump that forms in his throat as he tries to look over his shoulder at Felicity.

"Hmm?" Felicity hums, beginning to spread the salve across Gaston's bare shoulder, making a small shiver run down the hunter's spine for the briefest of moments. "Oh, right. Your clothes were covered in blood so I am washing them for you. Also, I needed to assess your injuries and wrap them in bandages," the female physician recounts, and it takes Gaston every fiber of his being not to hum in appreciation and enjoyment as Felicity kneads his dislocated shoulder with her knuckles.

Lifting the blanket around his torso, Gaston begins to cast his gaze….

"Merciful heavens, Monsieur LeGume! I did not remove your undergarments!" Felicity gasps in horror, not looking Gaston in his eyes.

She would not give Gaston LeGume the satisfaction of embarrassing her in her own house. Perhaps Belle had been right about the egotistical hunter all along….

"Shame. You might have seen something you'd like," he murmurs, his brown eyes specked with green locking onto her emerald orbs as he wiggles his eyebrows in what he hopes is a flirtatious way.  
Wasting no time, Felicity slams her hand as hard as she possibly can against Gaston's dislocated shoulder, eliciting a howl of pain from the Captain.

"Did that hurt?" Felicity sarcastically asks, a wicked grin on her face as she looks Gaston in the eyes.

_"__Yes!" _Gaston groans, his eyes growing heavier by the second as he blinks rapidly to keep the haze of sleep away.

"Good! I told you not to make this egotistical or sexual in nature, and you did both, Gaston LeGume!"

"And for that I apologize, mademoiselle. Truly. Now then, since you seem to adore shouting my name at the top of your lungs, I think it is only fair you give me your name in return."

A brief moment of silence passes before Felicity answers the revered war hero.

"Felicity," she sighs in defeat, not believing she broke down that easily. "My name is Felicity."

"Felicity," Gaston breathes the name, and the intonation he uses is almost enough to make Felicity swoon.

Almost.

The physician's name is the last thing Gaston hears before he slips into another death-like sleep brought on by a combination of pain and his body's pure exhaustion.

* * *

When Gaston next awakes, it is the next morning and he is greeted by the smell of eggs and bacon as Felicity carries in two plates of food.

"Well, he-" Gaston begins to speak as he catches sight of Felicity, only to be cut off by the woman herself.

"Well, hello there to you, too. Please, can we not go through that entire conversation again? It was rather dull the first time and I don't have the patience to hear it again," Felicity sighs, setting a plate down rather forcefully in front of the injured man.

"We had this conversation before?" Gaston asks in confusion, his head still fogged with confusion and a sense of haziness after nearly dying at the castle.

"Yes. In detail. To save myself the insufferable pain of hearing you go through it again, I will repeat if for you as concisely as possible," the physician states in a clipped tone of voice.

"My, what big words you use Felicity!" the war Captain cheekily grins, though the sudden force of the action on his face makes him wince a little in pain.

"You will accord me the respect my position deserves," Felicity firmly instructs, still not believing that she told Gaston LeGume of all people her name when she had been able to avoid him for months without him noticing her.

"My apologies, mademoiselle," Gaston remarks, barely managing to hold his fork upright in order to attempt to eat the scrambled eggs Felicity made. "I am sorry if I am making you uncomfortable," he apologizes, and if Felicity thought he was being sincere, she might have actually believed him.

"When you awoke, you were so concerned with how you were alive and then proceeded to badger me for what seemed like ages about my name and how it must be a pretty name to go with my pretty face."

"Ah! Now that _does _sound like me. I was beginning to think I'd lost sight of my charms when I suffered all of these injuries!"

Ignoring his attempts at being either humorous or egotistical- it is frankly difficult for Felicity to understand which the man is going for- Felicity moves on and catches the war hero up with the rest of his circumstance.

"I told you the injuries you had, which you most likely do not remember because you passed out from exhaustion after making a few rather lewd remarks when I was tending to your dislocated shoulder," Felicity finishes, crunching a piece of bacon between her canine teeth to accentuate the end of her sentence.

"My, my! What a busy time we've had together," Gaston remarks with a wry smile, and if Belle hadn't warned Felicity of Gaston's boorish, brainless nature, the physician might have cracked a grin at his attempt to joke even while confined to the bed with many potentially life-threatening injuries.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, save for the sound of forks scraping against plates as they both finish the fine breakfast Felicity had made in the kitchen prior to coming to check on Gaston LeGume.

* * *

After they both finish eating, Felicity rises from the chair and takes Gaston's plate from off the bed, setting her mind to washing the dishes and then perhaps doing a bit of reading or housework before her patient's bandages needed to be changed again. However, Gaston LeGume seems to have other ideas in mind as he gently grasps Felicity's wrist in his massive, calloused hands as she moves to pick up the plate.

"Might I ask you a question, Mademoiselle Felicity?" Gaston inquires, his tone of voice low and soft, as one a child might use when admitting their fear or guilt to a parent.

"If you make it quick, Monsieur LeGume. I have some things to do around the house before I change your bandages; my whole day's schedule cannot simply revolve around you," Felicity remarks, a smirk on her face as she matches wits with the war veteran.

"You saved me. Why?" Gaston questions, his light brown eyes locking onto Felicity's emerald green ones.

"Well, I am a physician training to be a surgeon, so I figured saving someone almost beyond repair would be good practice," Felicity states matter-of-factly, removing Gaston's hand from her wrist before removing the plate from in front of him.

"Beyond repair? Am I still…?" Gaston trails off, alarm present in his voice, and Felicity can tell the large man is holding his breath until he receives an affirmation or denial of his current condition.

"In one piece? Yes. Still have all four limbs and major organs as far as I can tell," Felicity assures, stacking the plates together before placing the back of her hand on Gaston's forehead for the briefest of moments to make sure he wasn't taking to a fever if he had an infection she hadn't caught.

"Oh, that's a relief. But I was merely going to ask was I still handsome enough to woo someone into being my wife since Belle clearly has run off with that Beast of hers," the Captain cheekily grins, his eyebrows raising as he looks at Felicity with as much bravado and swagger as he can possibly muster in such a weak state.

"Are you always this vain?" the physician practically demands, no trace of humor in her voice as she realizes that Belle was not lying about the extent of the town hero's egotistical manner and self-image.

"Are you always this judgmental?" Gaston responds in a snarky tone, a crooked smile adorning his face as all of his teeth emerge from between his lips to sparkle at her.

"Touché," Felicity waves him off, exiting the room with a small grin on her face as well, pleasantly surprised that Gaston can indeed come up with witty comebacks of his own when challenged to such a competition.

It seems as if Gaston LeGume was not entirely insufferable after all, though he would have to tone down on his swagger and overall pompous attitude if Felicity was even considering talking to him about anything that wasn't related to his health and overall care for his vast amount of injuries.

* * *

Later in the week, LeFou manages to see Felicity in town when she snuck out of her house to stock up on more fresh produce for meals to last the rest of the week. Gaston was asleep when she left her small cottage, and so Felicity knew that she could head to the market in town and be back before the slumbering dark-haired Captain awoke from his nap.

"Bonjour, Felicity," LeFou greets with a smile on his face, and the short man quickly moves to help catch the basket of eggs Felicity had been precariously balancing on top of her newly acquired produce and new book she had gotten to read in between cooking, caring for Gaston, and doing other odds and ends around her house. "Let me help you with that!" he nearly shouts, holding the basket of eggs and checking over each one to inspect the shells for potential cracks.

"Je vous remercie, Monsieur LeFou!" Felicity breathes a sigh of relief at realizing her eggs were unharmed and she wouldn't have to go buy another dozen from the kindly farmer in the market. "It is so nice to see you this morning. Where has everyone been?" the female physician inquires, beginning to make the walk back to her cottage with LeFou walking beside her.

"You didn't hear about the party at the castle?" LeFou asks in a shocked tone of voice, aware of how close of friends Belle and Felicity had become over the months since the green-eyed young woman had first moved to Villeneuve months ago. "I'm sure Belle would have told you that she and the Prince were to be engaged!" the man gasps, not sure if Belle would have wanted him to reveal such information to Felicity without her consent, even though the entire town attended the ball.

"Well, I haven't exactly been at the castle, Monsieur LeFou. I must admit, I have been a bit preoccupied these last few days with a rather important matter."

"And what might that be? Are you working on a new garden? Or perhaps you are improving your collection of herbs and plants in which to make medicines from, hmm?"

"Actually, I've been trying to help Monsieur LeGume battle the injuries he withstood at the castle during his fight against Prince Adam," Felicity reveals, and the look of both shock and amazement crosses LeFou's face in a blur of emotion.

"Can you take me to him? Everyone thought he was dead" LeFou breathes out, unaware until now that his best friend and compatriot had, indeed, survived the attack on the castle thanks to this amazing woman's help.

"Follow me," Felicity quietly says, and she leads LeFou through the woods to her small cottage in the woods.

The physician can only imagine the shock everyone in the town of Villeneuve will undoubtably go through when they realize that their hero, the great Captain Gaston LeGume had survived the onslaught of the so-called Beast after all.

* * *

Gaston, contrary to what Felicity would have believed, is awake when she and LeFou return to the cottage. The large man is doing his best to sit up in bed to stretch out his aching muscles, but the sharp pain from his dislocated shoulder and his sprained ankle force him back down onto the bed with a string of colorful curses and a sharp hiss escaping from his closed lips.

"Gaston, what have I told you?" Felicity demands in a no-nonsense voice as she enters her spare bedroom, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at her stubborn patient with all the commanding nature she can muster at this moment.

"I needed to get up and try to relieve myself. I've been asleep for hours, and _you_ keep insisting that I drink more water, mademoiselle!" Gaston grits out, his head slumping backwards onto the extra pillow Felicity had provided him to further support his neck.

"Yes, to get your body back to a more normal composition! You need more fluids, especially since your body lost so much blood when I found you," Felicity argues back, not once raising her voice in volume, but changing the intonation of her words to show the stubborn Captain that she does truly mean business.

"For once in my life, I don't have the strength to argue about it," Gaston heavily sighs, grasping the glass of water on the bedside table with one of his massive hands which shakes slightly as he tries not to spill the liquid on himself while remaining lying on his back.

It is then that the hero of Villeneuve catches sight of another figure in the doorway of the bedroom.

* * *

"LeFou! Oh, I knew you would find me! But, why did it take you so long to find me?" Gaston exclaims in relief, happy to see that his best friend and fellow war veteran had been left virtually unharmed by their attack on the castle. "It's been what? Twenty-three, twenty-four hours?" he asks with a slight hum at the back of his throat, not really being able to recount just how long he has spent in Felicity's care since he first woke from his coma-like sleep.

"Try four days," Felicity nonchalantly reveals as she props Gaston into a sitting position and then proceeds to remove the sullied bandage on his dislocated shoulder to add more salve to it and then re-wrap it in a new bandage.

"_Four days?! _LeFou, my friend, were you even looking for me _AT ALL?!" _Gaston demands in a voice that can almost be qualified as a roar due to both its volume and intensity.

"Well, no. Belle told us she saw you die, so we kinda believed her," LeFou explains in a sheepish tone of voice, not wanting his best friend to lose his temper like he had when trying to use Belle's absence to get Maurice's blessing.

"You believed _Belle? _The woman who chose to love a beast and run off to live in a castle in the middle of a dark and spooky forest?" Gaston harrumphs, a clearly displeased look on his face as he thinks of the implications of such a statement from his dearest friend. "Did you ever think maybe that was what she _wanted _you to think where I wouldn't come back and slay her Beast?" he demands, wanting LeFou to think over how utterly naïve he had been to trust the bookworm who thought that the hulking _beast _in that castle could _ever_ love her more than Gaston himself could.

"Well, he's not exactly a beast anymore, Gaston. He's a Prince," the shorter of the two men reveals with a small squeak, hoping that Gaston would not fly even further off the walls with this new knowledge.

"Come again?" Gaston chokes out, his light brown eyes widening in both shock and disgust at such a notion that the hideous Beast could somehow transform into a Prince that Belle seemed to care for, against all the odds in the world.

"The long-lost Prince," LeFou clarifies, and then further delves into the tale of what happened while his friend was cooped up in bed trying to ease his own pain. "There was a grand party after he turned back, so I attended that and stayed for two days at the castle helping Belle move in and rearrange the newly acquired furniture."

"Of all the unbelievable ways this could have…" the muscular hunter mumbles under his breath as Felicity finishes rubbing salve on his shoulder and then proceeds to cover it once more in thick, white bandages. "Well, at least you saved me, LeFou. You're the best friend a man could hope for, even if your rescue took four days too long in my opinion," he continues, and Felicity merely looks down at him in disdain with a flash of an unreadable emotion passing through her green eyes.

"She's actually the one who saved you," LeFou reminds, and Felicity barely resists the urge to slap the arrogant Gaston LeGume on the back of his head.

"You _know _this," Felicity reminds Gaston in an angered tone, though she keeps her volume low enough to where she isn't shouting.

"I always figured you must have had help lifting me onto a horse and bringing me into your home."

"Think again, Gaston! And, for the record, you're a lot heavier than you think."

Gaston does not have a response to such talk, and LeFou can't help but snicker in the corner of the room as he watches the pair of them interact in a style completely their own. The shorter man begins to think that perhaps Felicity could be good for Gaston, or teach him some humility and respect at the very least.

* * *

When Felicity deems Gaston healthy enough to leave her cottage and return to his own home, it seems as if the day couldn't come soon enough. And yet, while Gaston prepares to leave as he shrugs on his bright red coat, Felicity feels as if an important piece of her is leaving with him. Shrugging off such a thought, Felicity merely follows behind him as he heads to her front door, his heavy boots thudding on her wooden floors and making quite the ruckus. She would not miss having to cater to this man's needs and almost insatiable appetite for breakfast and supper, that is for sure. (The man went through eggs like no one Felicity has ever met!)

"How can I ever thank you for your services?" Gaston inquires in a booming yet softly intonated voice as he turns around at Felicity's front doorway to look her in her eyes. "An autograph? A light kiss? Both?" he continues, his eyebrows moving slightly at the suggestion of either a kiss or both a kiss and an autograph.

"The vanity again, Gaston. It's really unbecoming," Felicity quips almost as soon as the words leave the war hero's mouth, having been exposed to the Captain's sense of humor for nearly six weeks now as she made sure the bones in his shoulder and ankle healed properly enough to where he could walk and hold a musket for hunting. "How about we start off with two months' worth of my rent since I've been caring for you for about a month and a half now?" the physician bargains, her green eyes very nearly cutting Gaston to his core, and it is in that moment that he realizes just how utterly beautiful the kind woman in front of him truly is, even with an apron obscuring her dress and with a flush of pink on her cheeks from the heat of the fire she cooked breakfast over.

"How about a month's rent and I take you to an extravagant dinner tonight to show my gratitude?" Gaston proposes his own bargain with a bit of a sparkle appearing in his light brown eyes as he thinks of the idea of himself spending a calming night with Felicity to show her just how utterly grateful he is that she saved his life nearly two months ago when everyone else had thought him dead.

"I'll think about it," Felicity tells him plainly, no readable expression on her face, and Gaston realizes that she is not as straightforward as Belle was with her emotions concerning him.

He could work that angle in his favor if given the chance he so desired in order to make up his debt to the amazing woman in front of him who could have just as easily left him to die.

"Well, I know how to wine and dine a darling damsel, regardless if she's in distress or not," the famous hunter smiles widely, the sun shining off his white teeth and making his eyes seemingly sparkle at Felicity as he reaches for her hand to attempt to give it a light kiss.

"Be still my heart," Felicity deadpans, not allowing Gaston to bestow a kiss on her hand, as she is still not sure whether or not she completely wants to allow Gaston to be a part of her life after she had spent the first six months of her time in Villeneuve avoiding him purely on Belle's words of advice surrounding him.

"So, I take it I'll see you at sunset?" Gaston hopefully inquires, not quite understanding the sarcasm that had been present in Felicity's voice.

"It's a definite maybe."

"You certainly are feisty! Witty banter has always been something I've craved from an equal!"

"I think there was a compliment in there somewhere," Felicity manages to grin in spite of herself, thoroughly amused and equally baffled by her conversation with Gaston LeGume whom she had assumed was simply a braggart and swaggering Captain who cared for nothing other than himself and his trophies from war and the hunt.

"Indeed. Now, I shall take my leave of you and will meet you back here at sunset," Gaston breaks through Felicity's silent thoughts, a genuine smile breaking over his lips as he looks up at Felicity, hope written clearly on his face. "You will accompany me for dinner, won't you?" he questions, that same tone of hope returning, and Felicity is unsure why she suddenly feels as if she needs to retire back inside her cottage to sit down.

It had to be because she had not slept well last night because of the storm. Nothing else could possibly give her this feeling.

"We shall see, won't we?" Felicity comments, a small smile on her face before she shuts the door behind Gaston LeGume, wondering what on Earth she was going to do in order to make her mind up on what her course of action should be tonight when he returns.

* * *

**Author's Note: And there it is, the much-awaited Chapter One! I cannot honestly believe that it has almost been exactly two months since I posted the prologue to this story! I hope those of you who read the prologue are still reading this, even after my prolonged absence due to college, work, homework, and my babysitting and family time on the side of everything else. I nearly wrote about these two for the March Drabble Challenge I participated in, but I decided not to ruin the arc I had planned for these characters. Felicity certainly can look out for and defend herself, can't she? She and Gaston are going to have plenty more of these 'battle of wits' in the rest of the story, believe me! (They may even start to keep score at some point….) Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this long overdue Chapter One; we're finally on the road to the main plot of the story now that the prologue is out of the way! So, what did you think of Gaston and Felicity's first meeting? Do you think she's going to take Gaston up on his offer for dinner? Does LeFou already seem to ship them? Lol. I hope to get another chapter out as soon as possible since my college semester ends the first week of May and then I'll be on summer break and have time to write amongst work, family time, and babysitting on occasion! Be on the lookout for updates, no matter how few and far between they may seem! Reviews, as always, are appreciated. Until next time, dear readers! Have an amazing day, afternoon, or night!**


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